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A Missouri woman who was unable to care for her foster daughter sent the teenage girl to live with a friend in Texas. Authorities intervened, but the woman will not face prison time.
Brenda Deutsch, 70, was arrested and charged with child abuse and neglect after officials learned about the situation. She ultimately pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment, leading to the child abuse charges being dropped.
Earlier this month, Deutsch received a seven-year prison sentence. However, she will not serve time behind bars. Instead, under a plea agreement, she was placed on three years of state-supervised probation, ordered to attend mandatory counseling, and had her foster care license revoked.
Reports indicate that the friend in Texas who took in the foster child kept exotic animals as pets, which raised concerns. The teenager lived there from 2021 to 2024, often left alone and tasked with caring for these animals.
During sentencing, Lincoln County Judge Thomas Frawley emphasized that Deutsch’s conviction stemmed from the poor and unsanitary living conditions the girl endured, rather than any allegations of trading the child for a monkey or more severe abuse. “She did not abuse anyone, engage in patterns of abusive behaviors, trade a child for a monkey, or anything else that has been said,” the judge stated.
The Texas friend, initially responsible for the teen, eventually delegated care to another individual who then contacted authorities. This led to the child revealing to Texas Child Protective Services that she had been sent from Missouri and left alone for long stretches in questionable conditions.
At the time of sentencing in September 2026, the foster daughter was 17 years old. Her identity remains confidential due to her minor status. Deutsch has not publicly commented on her plea deal or sentencing.